Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Complete Walkthrough (Step-by-Step Strategy Guide) – PART 02

Clair Obscur Walkthrough: Expedition 33 – PART 01 Clair Obscur Walkthrough: Expedition 33 – PART 02 Clair Obscur Walkthrough: Expedition 33 – PART 03

Exploring the Waters

When you return to camp after recent events, the first major change is that Gustave leaves the group and Verso takes his place. However, this comes with a huge advantage: Gustave’s level and practically all the Lumina you invested in him transfer to Verso, so you don’t “lose” your progress. However, you need to open the menus and redistribute attribute and skill points as if you were creating the character from scratch. Also, Verso inherits access to Gustave’s weapons, with the difference that some of them gain passive abilities that Gustave couldn’t use. So it’s worth reviewing each weapon and reading what has changed before you start walking around.

Once that’s done, finalize your improvements at the Curator, equip Pictos, and organize the Tints. Then, talk to Esquie at the camp to spend some time with him and strengthen your bond, since the Verse also has bonding events. When you’re finished, sleep to close the camp and unlock exploration. On the Continent map, Esquie can now swim, which opens up a bunch of islands, beaches, and portals that previously seemed like mere decorations. A useful detail is that, even after this transition, you can reopen the camp and, by selecting the journal option, you can write in Gustave’s Journal while controlling Maelle. So, if you’re following everything for completionism, don’t ignore this.

With the new mobility, start by making a quick stop at Stone Wave Cliffs via the north entrance, which is south of the island you’re on, because there’s a merchant outside selling hairstyles; enter Stone Wave Cliffs from that side and, right at the entrance, look against the wall, near a body, for the Pictos Defensive Mode. Then, head to the arena where you fought the area boss to get a record called Gustave, and then exit again, because here it’s just clearing collectibles.

Now head to Gestral Beach, but without entering the land area; swim around it and head northwest until you reach an island. Before entering any portal there, go to the far west end of the island and look in a corner for the third Lost Gestral to complete another step in the collection, and on the opposite side, near the stalls, pick up the Pictos Shared Care. Enter the White Tree portal, which is a single-room dungeon, and inside collect two important items, the record Honeymoon in Lumiere and Expedition Journal 36, then return to the sea.

From this island, swim southwest to another island and circle around until you find a landing point that leads to a chromatic boss, the Chromatic Jar; it works differently from many common enemies because it resists physical damage well and is weak to magic, so the Lune becomes your best weapon, and if you can give elemental weapons to the rest of the team, do so to avoid hitting “dry” and seeing little result. Pay attention to its ground attacks, because some generate a jump icon and allow Jump Counter if you wait for the right moment, but don’t get carried away trying to parry everything: the combo where it spins and whips with the lantern in this version is absurdly fast, can come with up to six hits, and it’s usually safer to dodge than to parry, since mistiming here can wipe out the character even at a high level.

The other dangerous pattern is the smash sequence, which starts with an area-of-effect hit on the group, then pulls in two jump counter-attack moments, and ends with more ground impacts. The last one usually has a micro-delay that catches many people, so practice the rhythm and don’t rely on autopilot; if you can apply Slow to it, the fight becomes much more human. An approach that speeds up the combat is to equip Pictos that increase break damage on shots and have everyone go in with elemental weapons, because hitting the lantern’s weak point with free aim fills the break bar quickly and gives you an early stun window; if you combine the break with Verso and take advantage of its mechanics to rank up, you can reach a level where even shots hit close to the damage ceiling, and this significantly reduces the fight time without turning the boss into a walk in the park.

By winning, you gain rare materials, several Colours of Lumina, and a high-level Jarum weapon for Maelle. Don’t run off without looking behind you, because there’s another Colour of Lumina near a crate just past the boss. Back in the water, head north and mentally mark a diving spot in the ocean that you can’t use yet, as it will be important later; continue northeast and land on a beach with destroyed boats and three enemies. Defeat all three to upgrade specific weapons in your inventory, and between the tents, break the crate in half to get the Pictos Energising Heal. Head east to the other end of that same block of land and pick up another Colour of Lumina on the beach.

Now head to the entrance of Spring Meadows and swim to the beach to the east, then walk south along the coast until you reach a beach that leads to a dangerous area called Dark Shores; you don’t want to go in yet, but you can still profit there: south of the entrance, break crates to reveal the Pictos Dead Energy I and then get out. From there, swim northeast to a beach east of Ancient Gestral City; upon landing, proceed and, when you see a camp on the left, look for Expedition Journal 64 in that area.

Head further inside and face a Bourgeon accompanied by two enemies; the fight is usually within your level now, but this Bourgeon is more resilient and can swallow up to two party members depending on the state of the fight, so your priority is to consistently force a break to make the boss spit out the ally, keep healing ready, and avoid wasting turns on scattered damage. Winning will upgrade important weapons and evolve a Pictos linked to counters, and near the camp there’s another Colour of Lumina to collect. Continue north until you find the entrance to The Meadows, another single-room dungeon that holds a record called Our Painted Family; pick it up and exit. Now go northeast of The Meadows to a more distant coast where there’s another hairstylist merchant and the portal to Stone Wave Cliffs Cave.

Inside this cave, proceed to the flag, cross a gap with a grappling hook, and as you pass through an arch, look through it to see a Colour of Lumina and grab it without going straight past it; then, continue, cross another grappling hook, cross a bridge, and collect another Colour of Lumina right ahead. Facing this item, look to the right for a low space to crawl, climb the hidden rope there, and you will reach a Paint Cage that releases a Chroma Elixir Shard. Then, look for the markers around it, destroy them all with shots, and collect the fragment to increase your elixir limit. Return to the main path, proceed to another grappling hook, and prepare for a different chromatic boss, the Chromatic Hexga, which isn’t difficult in terms of raw damage, but requires understanding the mechanics: it constantly raises shields, and the crystal on its body changes color as the fight progresses, becoming more “locked” at each stage until it reaches a point where it practically negates damage.

The correct way to prevent this is to continuously aim at the crystal with shots, because each sequence of hits causes the stage to regress, and when you knock the crystal down to the light stage and continue shooting, you cause a direct stun without needing to fill the entire break bar. So the plan is simple: don’t let the fight drag on, break shields quickly, control the crystal so it doesn’t advance to more resistant colors, and force the stun early. Maelle with a strong weapon helps a lot in tearing shields and speeding up the fight, and remember that Hexga’s attacks hit harder the more shields he has, so each turn you “keep a shield standing” is an extra risk. By winning, you receive the Pictos Energising Revive and also improve the level of an important Pictos, and near the boss arena also pick up the Pictos Exhausting Power and Expedition Journal 54.

Exit the cave and return via the northern route of Stone Wave Cliffs, then head west on the opposite coast to enter Crushing Cavern. In this dungeon, advance until you see an item in the distance and go towards it, because the floor gives way and you fall into a sinister chamber full of bodies; if you want to leave, there is a rope behind you, but the objective is in front of you, a giant Nevron face that initiates the Giant Sapling combat. This boss doesn’t “hit” you like others, it hinders you with weak magic that causes Exhaust and, mainly, keeps adding shields, and the real danger is a turn limit, because the walls will close in and, when the imminent attack message appears with the walls practically touching, you are on your last breath. So this is not a fight for survival, it’s a race: remove shields immediately, apply Burn, use fire and electricity because it suffers a lot, and take advantage of Verso to accelerate break and enter strongly when a window opens; Lune with stains and Mayhem is usually the piece that deals the necessary damage, and Maelle helps a lot in “shield clearing” and maintaining the pace.

By winning, you earn the Pictos Solidifying and, after the boss, follow the path behind him to a rope, climb up, continue and collect a Colour of Lumina and Expedition Journal 45 before leaving. With this diary package, return to Gestral Village and deliver it to Berrami to receive a large reward of Colours of Lumina, which strengthens the team for the rest of the act. Now, to complete the maritime circuit, go northwest of the initial island of this stage and disembark on another island; there is a merchant with clothing items and, at the far northwest, there is a camp with an item, as well as a beach with three enemies that you must defeat to clear the area. Then, go around and climb to a higher level where there is a door to the Manor.

Enter to open a new room, the Manor’s library; there, unlock the storage room behind the entrance, open the door leading to the main hall, climb the internal stairs, and when you see an item shining between distant shelves, use the ledges on the right to reach it, as this item is a Shape of Energy Tint, which unlocks an upgrade for this Tint. On the second floor, to the left, interact with a specific shelf to get a Verso outfit, then exit. Avoid a gigantic Nevron to the west of this island, as the fight is now disproportionate. Back in the water, head north to a reddish region with a beach; disembark, defeat the enemies to upgrade a Pictos of Pain, and then enter the portal to the Blades’ Graveyard, which is another single-room dungeon with a record called Reverence. Exiting, swim southeast to another island, clear the enemies on the left, and roam the map to an abandoned camp to get the Pictos Accelerating Heal.

Next, return to where the enemies were and go to the eastern edge to find the Painting Workshop portal, marked as dangerous, but already explorable. Inside, proceed carefully as it’s a platforming area with broken frames, descending through paths of paintings until you reach a large painting with another boy similar to the Curator; talk to him and agree to help to receive the Light of the Beast quest item. Continue down to an area that looks like a workshop with Nevron statues; note that there is a flag, a hook leading to a blocked section, and an exit that returns to the entrance. Since you can’t complete everything there for now, leave and leave this portal marked for later. Then, go southeast to another coast and defeat the enemies there to upgrade an important weapon and also a Pictos that you already use a lot. Your final exploration target here is Gestral Beach, where there’s an unexpected raft volleyball minigame: talk to the lone Gestral and choose the difficulty. The rule is always the same: you need to press the attack button the instant the “Gestral babies” are about to fall onto your raft to reflect them back, and the direction doesn’t matter, timing is what counts. On easy, you need to hit five shots that hit the opponent before taking five hits, and the reward is a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. On normal, the opponent has more health, throws more frequently, and adds flaming balls that cause more damage, and the reward is a swimsuit for Lune. On hardest, the enemy has a much larger health bar, the balls arrive faster, and the camera angle and cadence make timing much more demanding, so the way to win is to memorize the rhythm, not panic with short sequences, and keep the attack “at the last instant” so as not to miss by anticipation; winning earns you a swimsuit for Sciel. With all that completed, you’ve essentially exhausted the relevant explorations in this part of the Continent, so when you’re ready to return to the main path, follow the map to the point marked as Forgotten Battlefield.

Forgotten Battlefield

As soon as you finish the intro scenes in Forgotten Battlefield, you’re thrown into combat, and the game introduces a new concept that will appear frequently from now on: the gradient counter. Think of it as a parry with its own rules: it’s not about “pressing to defend,” it’s about getting the timing right. So observe the preparation of the attack and respond at the right moment, because if you press too early it doesn’t count, and if you press too late you take full damage. If you’ve faced the white Hexga at some point, you’ll recognize the telegraphic sound that announces this attack. After this first fight, advance until you find a flag, recover resources if needed, and go through the gate just ahead. On the other side, before following the main path, look to the right and climb the ramp against the wall to pick up a Polished Chroma Catalyst, which is usually out of sight for those who just run straight ahead. Continue exploring until you find the first larger group of enemies on the map, and be sure to fight here, because it’s good practice to solidify the timing of the gradient counter in real-world conditions. These are two enemies of the type shown in the tutorial, plus a smaller one that’s new, but the combination serves precisely to teach you how to alternate between precise defense and pressure without becoming disorganized. Upon winning, you earn the Ramasson weapon for the Sciel and the Pictos Longer Shell.

From here, the place starts to resemble a labyrinth of ruins, with several forks in the path, so it’s best to clear in layers and always return to the reference point when you pick up an important item. First, from the point where the path begins to split, go to the right and find an isolated enemy; defeating him will upgrade your Troubadim to level 8, so it’s worth the trip. Return to the initial fork and follow the left path; soon another fork appears, and here you should take the right path to a dead end with a Colour of Lumina. Once you’ve picked it up, go back and follow the other side to continue. This route leads to a structure that looks like a small stage, with an enemy nearby and an item on top; kill the enemy and collect another Colour of Lumina.

Nearby there’s a ladder; climb it and face another group, then look for a hidden item under the doorways opposite, which is a Recoat. To the right of this Recoat, inside a broken building, is a Healing Tint Shard, increasing your Healing Tint limit, so don’t miss it. Now, still in this area, notice the bridge-like ramp to the right, cross it and eliminate the enemy on the other side; behind him is a Pictos called Sweet Kill.

With those items secured, return to the first large fork and proceed a little further in until you notice a portal-shaped passage on your right. Enter through there, go down the slope on the right side and, at the end, turn left to pick up the Pictos Energising Start IV. If you advance a little further and eliminate the Nevron in this section, you can still collect Chroma on the right, so it’s worth clearing that too. Return to the fork and now continue straight ahead along the central path, defeat the enemies blocking the passage and look for a detour to the left that goes under a bridge; this detour leads you to a burnt tree with an item right in front of it, a Revive Tint Shard, which permanently increases your Revive Tint capacity.

From the burnt tree, you’ll see another clear division: a ramp to the left and, to the right, stone steps and small platforms leading up. Climb to the right, reach a flag, and continue along this higher path. At a certain point, observe a cracked blue rock; it serves as a navigation marker because you’ll cross this area again later, so it’s good to mentally memorize its location. Continue, and when a staircase appears to the right, climb it, defeat the enemy at the top, and, entering a small room to the right, pick up a Colour of Lumina. Exit to the balcony and, on the left edge, collect the Pictos Energising Death. Go down the stairs and eliminate the group of enemies below to pick up another Colour of Lumina in the center. Now use the nearby lever to open a previously locked passage, facilitating your return.

With that cleared, return to the wooden ramp near the split in the burnt tree, climb up, and you’ll find another flag. Heal everything, reorganize the Pictos, and proceed down a broken mast that serves as a walkway; once you’re down, search the right corner, near the wooden stakes, and destroy the boxes with a single blow to reveal a hidden Energy Tint Shard. Continue forward until you reach a fork in the path that’s impossible to ignore because there’s a figure in the center, the faded woman; she only interacts with Maelle, so if you want to see this content, make sure you’re controlling her or have her in your party for the dialogue. From there, take the left path first, as there’s another flag there; next to it is a rock and a pile of bodies, go around it to find another Colour of Lumina. Continue, and you’ll end up going back the way you came; on this return, turn right to find a Pétank in a corner. Corner and defeat it quickly to prevent its escape, and don’t forget to pick up the Chroma that’s on the opposite side from where it usually stops. Then, return to the fork in the path with the faded woman and proceed along the other side. Soon you’ll find a split where, on the left, is Expedition Journal 41 and, on the right, a Colour of Lumina; pick up both, as they are practically side-by-side. Next, this section splits again, and you should follow the more “straight ahead” path that seems to descend, which is usually on the left when you’re facing the split. It leads you to some Chroma and, more importantly, to a chromatic boss, the Chromatic Luster. Before starting the fight, adjust your mindset: this enemy absorbs fire, so any build that relies on Burn becomes detrimental, and even passives that apply Burn can end up hindering you, so if you’re using a lot of things focused on that, consider switching to avoid giving the boss free healing. Its weakness is electricity, so prioritize lightning and well-placed shots to fill the Break bar. The most dangerous attack is the explosion, and the best way to time it is to watch the charge, because it “pulses” twice before unleashing the impact; the timing is tricky, but if you manage to parry or at least dodge cleanly, you gain a great turn to punish. Fortunately, he doesn’t have an absurd amount of health and the break bar fills up quickly, so you can force a stun early and shorten the fight. Just don’t underestimate his other patterns: he has a fast combo typical of Lusters and a rage attack where he randomly charges at allies, and both can knock someone out if you mistime them. He can also inflict Burn and, worse, can consume the burn on your allies to heal himself, and after that he usually tries another explosion on the next turn, so the goal is simple: don’t let the fight drag on, break and finish before this cycle starts repeating. By winning, you receive the level 9 Lusteson, the Pictos Energising Parry, and upgrade materials.

Leave this route and return to the previous split, now taking the other path to reach a rope; climb up and pick up the Pictos Empowering Tint. Then, return once more to the area of ​​the faded woman and continue on the main route. At a new split point, go left and destroy boxes, because there’s a hidden Paint Cage marker there. Continue and, at the next split, go left again to find the Paint Cage itself; near it there’s another marker behind boxes, so break everything, shoot the markers and release the reward, a Chroma Elixir Shard that increases your maximum limit of this resource. Proceed and you’ll see Expedition Journal 57 on the way. Before going straight ahead, look to the right of the journal for an entrance to ruins and a rope leading upwards; going up, you’ll find a hidden merchant, Kasumi, who sells useful items, including a Pictos linked to inverted affinity and the Benisim weapon for Lune, and if you want, you can challenge him to get an outfit as a reward. With the purchases sorted, advance to a bridge that triggers cutscenes and unleashes the area boss, Dualliste. In the first phase, he mixes combos and sword slashes with a relatively fair cadence, so the fight is more about learning the rhythm than surviving a “one-hit kill”; he tends to resist fire and darkness well, but that doesn’t mean burn damage is useless, it’s just not the most efficient way to melt his health bar. Watch out for an attack that hits the entire group, because if you manage to parry that blow, the damage return is well worth it. When you reduce his health to a very low point, a cutscene plays and the second phase begins, with him regaining all his health and entering with two swords. The moveset gains more combo hits, but curiously the cadence slows down a bit, making parrying viable if you stay calm. The added danger comes from a reversal effect he spreads as he takes hits, preventing healing, so avoid wasting turns trying to heal when the status is active and focus on surviving with defense and revives when necessary. He also summons an ally to participate in a combo, so don’t get distracted by the boss and take hits “from the outside”. Overall, it’s a demanding fight, but much more consistent than Chromatic Luster if you have your Tints up to date. When he’s about to fall for the second time, keep pressing, because the game usually ends the fight with a cutscene finisher. Upon winning, you receive the Dualiso weapon, the Pictos Combo Attack I, and three Polished Chroma Catalysts. After the fight, return via the indicated path and look for a rope you can activate to climb; when you reach the top, there’s a low hole in the wall ahead, crawl through it to get a Colour of Lumina. Go back outside, activate another rope, and then cross a hook to return to the upper path. Once on solid ground,Climb the slope and look to the left to see a climbable ledge leading to another Colour of Lumina. If you wish, use the grappling hook to return to the other side of the bridge, rest on a flag, and then continue forward with everything fully charged. In the final section of the dungeon, upon encountering damaged stairs overgrown with vegetation, climb up and turn left to enter ruins where the Pictos Revive Tint Energy is located. From there, simply follow the road to the end to watch the cutscenes and exit the Forgotten Battlefield, completing the area. Upon reaching the post-dungeon camp, repeat the standard upgrade routine, spend Catalysts and Colours of Lumina, adjust Pictos and attributes of Verso and the rest of the group, and take advantage of the fact that you can now spend time with Lune, Sciel, and Esquie to increase your bond level with each of them, as it’s not an exclusive choice; you can do it with all of them. It’s also worth interacting with the campfire to see two extra cutscenes of the group, and don’t forget that Maelle can write in Gustave’s journal. When you’re ready to advance the story, go to sleep, because during the scenes of this night, Maelle’s bond rises to the first level and the game pushes you to the next block.

Overworld: As soon as you appear on the new section of the Continent map, start by clearing the immediate area to get a stronger start: head north a little and defeat the first group of enemies patrolling, as this will upgrade Cruleram to level 8, then make a short detour southwest to break a box near a lamppost and pick up a Colour of Lumina. Return north and look for a nearby camp; there’s another Colour of Lumina waiting there, so it’s worth sweeping before continuing your journey. With this clearing done, advance east from the Forgotten Battlefield exit until you find the Stone Quarry entrance and enter. Inside the quarry, use the flag, walk further in and look for a White Troubadour next to Expedition Journal 48, pick up the journal and talk to him. He asks for help training, and the training works like a mini-game of reading projectiles: you need to dodge the red shots while simultaneously accepting the green shots, repeating this for three rounds until the test ends. The trick to not confusing the colors is to observe the wave that comes out of the instrument before the projectile arrives; when the shot is red, the wave is neutral and colorless; when the shot is green, the wave is greenish. So use this detail to quickly decide whether to dodge or stay in place. After the three rounds, talk to him again to receive the Healing Parry upgrade to level 10, and if you want, you can start a conversation about lore or even attack to initiate an optional fight. If you intend to complete this character’s questline and seek the large payout at the end, it’s best not to fight him now. However, if you just want the fight, the Troubadour doesn’t have any mechanical surprises beyond his family’s standard mechanics, so focus on dodging because parry timings tend to be unforgiving. At level 30 or higher, the battle is quite manageable, yielding a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst upon victory. Leaving the quarry, head east to a beach, defeat the enemies there, and then climb the slope to the north, as there’s a camp further west with another Colour of Lumina to collect. If you continue climbing, you’ll encounter a gigantic blue Nevron, the Frost Eveque, an icy version of a large boss from the beginning of the game. Here, the game is testing you with an above-average optional character, so treat it as a target for later if you’re not truly confident, because the fight becomes a marathon of dodging and parrying with very low damage if you’re under-leveled. If you still want to try, the logic is to attack with electricity, since it resists fire, light, and earth, absorbs ice, and is weak to lightning. The best player to handle this is usually Verso with a lightning element weapon and combo-focused passives, using core shots when safe and basic attacks to maintain momentum, while Lune contributes with Trebuchim and magic, avoiding casting Mayhem if it’s tied to the ice stain.His main patterns include bursts of ice stakes at random targets and then at the group, an ice spear strike that hits the team and is accompanied by explosions that increase in number as his health decreases, and an orb that fires magic in sequence at an ally, which also increases in the number of impacts when the boss is more wounded, so if you insist, use the sound of the shots as a timing guide and prefer dodging instead of parrying until you master the rhythm, because the parries here are tight. Near the end he gains a long sequence. As soon as you appear in this new section of the world map, do a quick clearing around you to gain automatic upgrades: advance north and eliminate the first group of enemies patrolling there, because this victory usually pushes Cruleram to level 8, and then go back a little and go southwest, where there is a lamppost with a breakable box that hides a Colour of Lumina; You’ve got it, so head north and look for a campsite along the way, because there’s another Colour of Lumina there that’s easy to collect before you continue your journey.

With that done, head east from the Forgotten Battlefield exit and enter the area called Stone Quarry. Use the flag to resupply and walk further in until you find a white Troubadour and Expedition Journal 48. Talk to this Troubadour to start a minigame-style training exercise where you have to dodge red shots while simultaneously accepting green shots. This happens in three consecutive rounds, so the idea is to stay calm and not react in fright. A great trick is to look at the wave coming from the trumpet, because when the shot is red, the wave appears without a highlighted color, and when the shot is green, the wave comes out greenish, giving you time to decide whether to dodge or let it hit you. After completing the three tests, speak to him again to receive the Heal Parry upgrade to level 10, and only attack this NPC if you are truly determined to fight, because although the fight is manageable above level 30, Troubadours are naturally annoying to parry and the best defense is usually constant dodging, since the blows land with a difficult cadence, and if you win you also get a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst, but if your priority is to complete his questline and receive the final reward later, it’s best not to turn this into a fight now. Leaving the quarry, head east to the beach and defeat the enemies there, then climb the hill to the north and look to the west for a camp with another Colour of Lumina; Further up, you’ll notice a large blue Nevron, the Frost Eveque, and here the correct decision for most players is to ignore it for now, because it’s a high-resistance optional boss that punishes any mistake, and even near level 40 you’ll still feel like you’re scratching at its health while relying on near-perfect defense, so only engage if you have a well-structured build and are prepared for a long fight. If you do try, treat it like an electricity combat: it resists fire, light, and earth, absorbs ice, and is hit by lightning, so the Verso with Dualiso is usually the best pillar, especially if you combine basic attacks with combo-favoring passives and use core shots when it’s safe to build your rhythm and look for breaks, while Lune with Trebuchim remains excellent for magic damage, just avoid casting Mayhem “contaminated” by ice stain; His patterns escalate throughout his life, starting with ice stake magic on random targets and then the group, a spear strike on the ground that hits the group and then unleashes a series of explosions, and an orb attack that fires magic multiple times at the same target. These last two sequences gain more repetitions as you remove percentages of his life, so use the sound of the shots and explosions as a metronome to time your dodges, because the visual timing is deceiving. Near the end, he unleashes a large sequence of stakes almost without pause and also adds a gradient attack that, once you learn the timing,This becomes an opportunity for free damage, but overall it’s more worthwhile to dodge than to try and parry everything, unless you’ve already practiced parrying two specific patterns to punish with counters.

Returning to the normal route, go back to the beach, swim across and head south to another shore; enter the woods ahead, defeat the enemies to push Potierim, Ramasson, and Lighterim to level 11, then go to the camp to the east to get another Colour of Lumina, then follow the trail to Boat Graveyard, a one-room dungeon with the record Alicia’s Birthday, and exit. Now return to the shore and head north to the island in the middle of the lake, where there is a Nevron with a face that acts as an optional boss that is too strong for this moment; it doesn’t usually chase you, so ignore it calmly and go to the right to get a glowing item near a broken structure, then enter the portal behind it to explore the Coastal Cave. Inside the Coastal Cave, use the flag and go to the central room, where there are two Nevrons in the forge with whom you can talk; Talk to Bruler and accept the demonstration to fight them. It’s not an absurd battle, but it hurts quite a bit and usually requires Revive Tints because the moves have variations that catch those used to the common pattern. After winning, you can buy weapons from them, but they are expensive and usually come at a high level, so the smart purchase is to prioritize only what you really don’t have any version of. And don’t forget to check the other Nevron’s shop as well, which usually sells equipment from bosses you’ve already faced. Before leaving, go to the far left of the cave to get a Colour of Lumina and then return to the world.

Now return to the Forgotten Battlefield area: starting from the entrance, head north through an arch and further ahead, go east to find a Colour of Lumina in a destroyed camp; continue north and you’ll find a Lost Gestral between two trees and a vase, and this is important because, by talking to it, you’ll reach 4 of the 9 found, so return to the camp and talk to Sastro to unlock the ability to break the ink spikes, those spikes you’ve been seeing around the map, because from here on they cease to be just decoration and become keys to hidden items, paths, and bosses; test the mechanic on the ink spike in the camp itself and pick up the Colour of Lumina that appears. With this ability unlocked, return to the overworld and look northeast for an ink spike that holds Chroma, and take advantage of the fact that north of the Lost Gestral there is a merchant who sells a hairstyle and a record called Lost Voice. Next, traverse the map to the far west of this sector to find another entrance to the Painting Workshop, with another hairdresser nearby; enter and repeat the descent through the broken frames to the large painting with the faceless boy, talk to him and pick up the Colour of the Beast quest item, continue down to the workshop area with statues and, this time, examine the correct statue to use both the Colour of the Beast and the Light of the Beast that you had already obtained before, completing two components and marking that one more is still needed to finish this sequence, then exit through the back exit to the outside.

Now comes the part that yields the most item return and that many people postpone: clearing old ink nails. Go back to the Forgotten Battlefield, reach a flag and teleport to Fort Ruins. Proceed until you find the ink nail, break it and pick up the hidden Polished Chroma Catalyst. Don’t worry about the rope just above it, as there’s usually nothing relevant there. Then, head to the farm area in Stone Wave Cliffs and look for the ink nail further inside. Destroying it opens a path to a chromatic boss called Chromatic Gault. Here, the game changes, because the boss starts by trapping an ally and preventing dodging, forcing you to learn parry timing the hard way. He’s weak to fire, absorbs earth, and resists light, lightning, and ice. Practically any hit from him can eliminate a character, while counters give much more damage return, and the break bar tends to fill up faster. So, the plan is to go in with firearms, find the right timing for defense, and convert each defense into punishment.

After you take away about a quarter of his life, he gets stronger, and around half his life the camera and the fighting behavior change, with attacks becoming faster and gaining extra hits without warning, in addition to him adding Shell to himself, so be ready to remove the buff with the opposite effect and not let his defense stack; at this stage he can engage in a long sequence with repeated double hits several times and finish with a thrust, adding up to many impacts, and towards the last quarter he enters Rage and starts acting twice in the same turn, which turns the fight into a test of resistance and consistency, so if you are not willing to memorize the timing of this long sequence, it is best to leave it for much later, because it is one of the cruelest optional moves. Winning will give you high-level rewards, including a high-level Pictos Tainted, rare Catalysts and several Colours of Lumina, and it’s also worth going behind one of the houses on the right to get the Pictos Rejuvenating Revive. Continue your search for ink nails across the continent: outside Yellow Harvest there is a nail near a rock that yields a Colour of Lumina; southwest of the Ancient Sanctuary entrance, hidden behind a rock, there is another nail with Colour of Lumina; north of the Gestral Village area and the Ancient Sanctuary corridor, near the wall, there is yet another nail with Colour of Lumina; inside Gestral Village, in the infirmary area where the lazy doctor is, look on the other side for an ink nail that releases Pictos Powerful Shots; still in the village, near the burning house where Gestral insists everything is alright, look to the left for the ink nail that hides the Betelim weapon for Lune. Back at the Ancient Sanctuary, the most lucrative clearing is in the Sanctuary Maze: starting from the maze flag, go straight and turn left, defeat the Sakapatates along the way and go left again to find the nail in the corner, which when broken opens a passage for a grappling hook jump and takes you to a whole new area of ​​the sanctuary with its own flag; There, go left to pick up a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst, then go back and straight ahead to a giant totem and pick up a Colour of Lumina behind it, then follow the river behind it to find the Pictos Piercing Shots, and finally look for a path that goes up beyond the totem, defeat the enemy at the top, turn to the point indicated by the scenery and jump across to reach another area with more enemies and a generous chest of Chroma, usually above 6000. It’s also worth going back to Flying Waters: near the Lumerian Streets flag, go left and climb the holds, defeat the enemy at the top and break the ink nail on the way up to get Colour of Lumina. In Spring Meadows, from the Indigo Tree flag, go left and jump down to find an ink nail that, when broken, reveals three Colours of Lumina near a body.Continuing along the left path, you’ll find a second ink stud that opens a shortcut back to the Jar area. Finally, at the Abandoned Expeditioner Camp, break the ink stud to the right of the Jar to get another Colour of Lumina, use the grappling hook to cross, and follow the path to a body with a Pictos called Aegis Revival, excellent for providing high defense along with the effect. This route returns you to an old flag without requiring a long detour. With all this clearing completed, you finish the exploration and backtracking of ink studs for this stage and can now point your map to the next main area, heading towards Monoco’s Station.

Monoco’s Station

Once you finish Forgotten Battlefield and drop back into camp, take advantage of this break because it unlocks new conversations that increase your bond levels. Talk to Esquie to raise your bond to level 2, then talk to Sciel and Lune to raise their bond to level 1. Next, interact with the campfire to watch two short scenes with the group that are worthwhile for context and atmosphere, and don’t forget to write in Gustave’s journal before bed. At the end of the night, another scene plays and your bond with Maelle increases, and then you can return to the Continent ready to move on.

Before heading straight to Monoco’s Station, you can do some quick preparation that will make the route much easier. If you haven’t already, stop by the Stone Quarry to pick up the Expedition 48 journal and help the Troubadour with his training, as this will yield an important upgrade to your defensive set. If you want to go further, you can visit the Coastal Cave and challenge the Nevrons at the forge, but this fight is usually tough for the level most players reach here, so consider it an option for now or later. It’s also a good idea to fit in a trip to the Boat Graveyard in the southeast to pick up another music disc, and stop by a Gestral merchant in a snowy area near a paint nail if you’re cleaning up collectibles and cosmetics.

When you’re ready for the main story, follow the map northwest to the portal for Monoco’s Station. As soon as you enter the zone, you’ll fall into an icy corridor with a flag right at the beginning. Rest if you need to, replenish your healing items, and check your weapons and Pictos, because inside the station there are two boss fights in sequence. Continue down the corridor and, when the path pushes you south, stop to talk to the Grandis Guard nearby. Then, go through the corridor he’s guarding and proceed inside the actual station.

Starting from the inner flag, go straight ahead to trigger a cutscene and finally meet Monoco. He doesn’t join the group immediately, and the “right way” to convince him is in the most classic way possible: a duel. The fight against Monoco is much more friendly than his appearance and dialogue suggest, but it still requires attention because of his transformations and combos. At the beginning, he uses simple staff strikes, usually a single hit and sometimes a sequence of two quick hits. The safest time to parry is when the staff reaches the highest point of the strike’s arc and begins to descend, because that’s where the window of opportunity usually “fits” best. If you prefer to play it safe, dodging works, but parrying well speeds up the fight because it returns damage and helps control the pace.

As the battle progresses, Monoco reveals the most dangerous part of his kit and begins to assume Nevron forms, unleashing a long and persistent combo of multiple hits, including a rapid sequence of overhead strikes. The logic to avoid being overwhelmed here is to choose a strategy and stick to it: either you enter parry training mode and accept that you will miss a few times until you memorize the cadence, or you play more defensively with dodging and use healing abilities to slow down the learning process. If you have access to Shell, applying it before taking the combo is a simple way to reduce risk while learning. To attack, don’t skimp on powerful resources: use abilities that pressure the break bar to interrupt the transformation cycle. Lune’s Mayhem and Maelle’s strong combos usually work very well to break the cycle, and applying Mark helps a lot to create windows of significant damage, especially if you put Maelle in Virtuoso mode and use her abilities on the marked target. Upon winning, the story advances immediately, and a greater threat soon appears.

As soon as the fight ends, a cutscene warns that a dangerous Nevron is approaching. This is the time to open the menu and equip firearms, if you have options with this element for your active trio, because the next boss is much more sensitive to the type of damage you take. Return to the flag, rest, distribute points if you have any pending, and then return through the corridor to face the station’s final boss, Stalact.

Stalact is an icy golem that also serves as a practical lesson in two concepts at the same time: jump attacks and Gradient Attacks. Right at the beginning, it usually opens with three attacks that make the ground “pulse.” These attacks are the type you must jump to avoid, and if you time them correctly, you can immediately counter-attack in the air, so don’t try to parry on the ground. If you equipped firearms beforehand, these counter-attacks already put the boss at a disadvantage from the first turn. In addition, it has a very common pattern of four consecutive attacks, raising its paw and slamming it down. Here, the correct defense is to parry or dodge at the exact moment the paw comes down, repeating the rhythm four times without speeding up the command.

The most important detail about Stalact is that it alternates affinities depending on its stance. In one stance, it absorbs ice and becomes more vulnerable to fire, and in another, it absorbs fire and suffers more from ice, so don’t insist on the same element if you notice that the damage has dropped too much or turned into absorption. Quick adjustment: if your fire stops working, switch the focus to ice, and vice versa. In the midst of all this, the new season mechanic, Gradient Attacks, comes into play. Each character has their own special attack, and you see the charge of this resource next to the health and AP information. This charge is replenished as you spend AP in combat; you can store more than one charge, and the most valuable thing is that using a Gradient Attack doesn’t end the turn, so it can be used as a burst opener. A practical example is using Maelle’s Gradient Attack to enter Virtuoso and immediately follow up with a strong ability, or using Verso’s to apply Mark and immediately take advantage of the mark with another action in the same turn. If Stalact arrives with low health, it can prepare a final explosion. The safest way to deal with it is to force a break or finish before the explosion happens. If there isn’t time, maintain your defense and dodge the moment he collapses to detonate.

After defeating Stalact, Monoco finally demonstrates his transformation power and joins the Expedition. If the tutorial is active, it’s worth doing, because his kit is different and revolves around a unique mechanic called the Bestial Wheel. In simple terms, this wheel activates one “type of mask” at a time, and some abilities become better or cheaper depending on the active segment. Some techniques gain bonuses when the balanced mask is active, others have reduced costs when the agile mask appears, and using abilities makes the wheel spin, changing the state for the next segment. Another point that many people miss is that Monoco learns new techniques by participating in victories against Nevrons, so he needs to be in the active group, not the reserve group, if you want him to evolve his repertoire over time.

With Monoco recruited, it’s worth taking a short tour of the station to pick up extras. A good stop is to talk to Grandis further southeast to hear quest clues and find a merchant with upgrade items. In the heart of the station, look for Grandis Fashionist, a stylish NPC who creates new outfits for the female characters if you correctly answer the poems. For Sciel, choose the verse that says “It meets the sea’s embrace, where sorrow turns to air.” For Maelle, answer with “While shadows fade to silence, gone beyond our sight.” For Lune, select “Winter winds will whisper, the ending of the tale.” Getting all three right unlocks the Pure variation, a white recolor of the standard uniform for each of them.

Still near the station’s entrance flag, there’s a Grandis Merchant who doesn’t sell immediately and instead gives you a quest. To unlock his stock, you need to go to an optional area called Frozen Hearts and defeat a difficult target to obtain a special item, so it’s the kind of task to mark and return to later when the group is stronger. Before leaving the Grandis area, go to the exit on the east side and look for Expedition Journal 65 near two fallen expeditionaries. This exit leads to dangerous mountains with stronger enemies and aggressive optional areas, so it’s good for farming and challenges, but for main progression it’s best to ignore this path for now. When you’re ready to continue the story, use the exit north of Monoco’s Station to head to Old Lumière.

Old Lumiere

Before entering Old Lumière, it’s worth stopping at the camp as soon as you leave Monoco’s Station, because this is one of those moments where the game opens up new conversations and you gain “invisible” strength just by increasing bonds. Talk to Noco and Monoco to raise their relationship to level 1, talk to Maelle and Lune to raise them both to level 2, and if you return to the camp again after that, you can have an extra conversation that raises Lune to level 3. Don’t forget to talk to Esquie as well, because this conversation raises his bond to level 3. With everything discussed, visit the Curator to upgrade weapons, reorganize Pictos, and spend Colours of Lumina in the most efficient way, then interact with the campfire and choose to check on the others a few times to see light scenes of the group, write in Gustave’s journal, and sleep to progress.

If you want to warm up before Old Lumière, there’s some very tempting optional content. The east exit of Monoco’s Station gives access to dangerous icy areas, including Frozen Hearts, which is treacherous and usually best visited later, but you can cautiously enter and collect items without fighting if you’re patient enough to avoid enemies. Nearby there’s also a minigame on Gestrals Beach, and there’s also a region west of Old Lumière called Esoteric Ruins, which hides a friendly Nevron and is worth a visit if you’re collecting interactions. When you’re ready to continue the story, go to the point marked on the map and enter Old Lumière, but do so with everything ready, because the game will force you to use different compositions for a while and you don’t want to be surprised to find your “spare” character without Pictos, without equipped skills, and with poorly distributed attributes.

Upon entering Old Lumière, proceed and descend the rope, then stop at the Expedition 42 flag to rest and adjust your group. Near this flag is a merchant, Gestral, where you can buy powerful Pictos like Longer Powerful and Healing Counter, as well as a Revive Tint Shard for 1,000 Chroma to increase your maximum Revive Tint limit. These Pictos are usually expensive, so if you’re low on Chroma, don’t feel obligated to buy everything now, as you can return later. If you prefer to settle things manually, defeating this merchant reveals a new ice weapon for Sciel, so it’s a valid alternative if you’re confident. With that resolved, follow the glowing blades on the ground until you trigger a cutscene where Monoco tries to show off his tricks and fails; this is where the game separates the group.

The first perspective is from the right street, with Lune, Sciel, and Monoco. Before taking another step, it’s important to use the flag for this area to check if all three have equipped skills and distributed attributes, because you’ll be limited to this trio for a while. The main path is quite linear and tends to pull you north, but there’s a worthwhile detour. First, head east down the street, and when you see Nevrons further ahead, ignore them for now and look for the fork. Take the right path, passing through a broken door frame, to find your first group of enemies in this section, who are guarding a weapon for Monoco. In this fight, you’ll encounter Ceramic Chevaliére, who is weak to electricity, so if you have a lightning weapon or effect on Lune, take advantage of it to speed up the fight. Pay attention to his attack pattern: when he slashes, the second hit is a gradient attack, so respond with the gradient counter command at the right time to deliver a huge counter-attack. By defeating this enemy, in addition to the normal loot, you’ll also receive a component that helps Monoco learn new skills. Afterward, continue along the path, climb onto the roof, and pick up the orange glow item to obtain the Nusaro weapon for Monoco. Follow the light on the ground back to the fork in the road, and this time, take the other path to continue your advance.

From here on out you’ll face groups mixing variations of the Chevalier. The Steel Chevalier behaves similarly to the ceramic one, but the weakness changes, and here you want to use darkness, so let Sciel work with dark techniques to melt the target. This part yields a weapon for Maelle, the Battlum, so even with the group separated you’re already preparing the team for what’s to come. After crossing the hooks, go straight north and enter a small opening ahead, being careful of the enemy that usually stands in front of it. Inside there’s a large amount of Chroma, close to 5,000, which is very helpful for purchases and upgrades. Exiting this hole, follow the light up the slope and, when you reach a house, turn right and climb the ledges to the east to get a Colour of Lumina at the top. Continue following the pools of light to the north, talk to the man who seems to disappear to hear more about the Paintress and, further ahead, a cutscene triggers and Sciel finds a stone for the Esquie. During this scene, Lune also finds an expedition log, that of Expedition 58, but it usually only appears registered in the collection after you finish the rest of Old Lumière, so don’t be surprised if it doesn’t “confirm” immediately. When this section ends, also remember that there is content to return to later, because further down this right-hand street you can access a Mime and a bit more Chroma on a future visit.

The second perspective is from the left street, with Maelle, Verso, and Noco, and here the game puts you in a tighter situation, so don’t skimp on healing items out of pride. As soon as you gain control, go to the right behind a broken wall to pick up a Colour of Lumina, then head north and use the flag on the left street to rest. Follow the puddles of light down a ramp and continue north. The enemies are the same as in the other group, so keep up the habit of using gradient counter when the gradient attack appears and the fights become fast-paced. After passing through a door frame, go to the right and climb onto a brick ledge that juts out to pick up a Polished Chroma Catalyst, then drop into the hole just ahead.

Down below you’ll see a door with a diary behind it. Use the old key you got in the prologue to open it and retrieve a hidden diary from a Fracture survivor. Then, interact with the glowing orb to create a rope, climb up, and follow the light until you reach a fork in the path. Go left and pick up the Chroma near scattered crates, then use the grappling hook on the bow and continue following the light. Shortly after, a cutscene pulls the Verse out, leaving Maelle and Noco to fend for themselves, but in combat you control Maelle alone, so pay close attention to resources and defense.

With Maelle, proceed along the path until you pass between two crumbling buildings and look for a short optional hook to the right that leads to another Colour of Lumina. Return to the main route and continue following the light. After using the hook to cross a broken bridge, look for an entrance to the left. Enter, defeat the Nevrons surrounding an item, and pick up a new Pictos, Auto Rush. Continue following the light north and, before using the next hook, search the northernmost part of this area to find a house. Go around the porch and look for a broken barrel with a Polished Chroma Catalyst hidden inside. Now, use the hook to the east to reach an open field, stop at the Expedition 42 flag to rest and prepare, because the boss fight starts here, but there’s an excellent detour.

To the left of the flag there is an opening in the stone wall. Go through it to enter an area that leads to 2,495 Chroma on the ground and an alternate entrance to the Manor. Pick up the Chroma first, backtrack a bit and go around the hedges to find the Manor door. Inside, explore until you pass through a bathroom and reach another room containing a journal entry called Renoir, then collect it and go back outside. When you finish the detour, head to the main entrance of the Manor just ahead to start the Renoir boss fight, now in a rematch that you can actually win.

Renoir has no clear elemental weaknesses or resistances, so this fight is all about reading and executing. His initial melee combo has five hits, and there’s a long pause between the third and fourth attacks, so don’t rush to parry at the wrong time. A consistent way to land a block is to use his grunts as a timing reference. When he drops below half health for the first time, this combo gains a sixth hit in the form of a thrust that stuns, and the best cue to parry this final hit is to wait for the Chroma glow he channels and respond instantly. He also has a variation where he attacks “from a distance” with a similar sequence, and when he goes past half health this variation becomes a series of Chroma waves, with five ranged attacks, which are easier to block if you observe the moment the Chroma fully contracts before firing.

Another important attack is when he creates a pool of Chroma on the ground. This move is designed for you to jump and counter with a jump attack, so jump the instant he starts thrusting his weapon downwards. If you take this hit, you are silenced for the next turn and cannot use abilities, which can ruin your plan. Later, he also “gathers an absurd amount of Chroma” and prepares a heavy attack on the entire group. Here, the ideal strategy is to use a gradient counter, and the most reliable timing is to press it the moment the large Chroma orb contracts inwards. If you are hit, you receive Defenseless and start taking more damage until the end of your next turn. After he reaches half health, this pattern evolves, and he makes two normal attacks before the Chroma attack, so the defensive sequence becomes dodging or parrying the first two and using a gradient counter on the third.

The most dangerous attack is when he tries to knock out a member of your party. If he succeeds, that target will have no revives for the rest of the fight, so defending against this attack is an absolute priority. The signal is very clear: the screen fades, he approaches the character and jumps to execute the attack, and you must use the gradient counter immediately after the jump to interrupt. After he reaches half health, this pattern gains an extra hit before the knockout, so you need to parry the first hit and use gradient counter on the second to save your ally.

When Renoir’s life reaches half, petals begin to gather around him, forming structures on his sides. If you don’t destroy these quickly, they heal a large chunk of his life and also grant a power buff, so immediately shift focus and use strong attacks that hit multiple targets to remove the structures before the time limit. If you already have Gradient Charge ready, Lune’s area Gradient Attack usually solves this problem efficiently. Closer to the end, he may summon strange masks that fire seven rapid shots. The first six usually come out after the mask shakes twice, so defend at that pace and pay attention to the sound, as it helps maintain the cadence. The last shot comes with a slight delay, and if it hits you receive Exhaust, which prevents you from recovering AP until the end of your turn, so treat this seventh shot as the most important of all.

After the victory, a sequence of scenes reveals important information and returns you to camp with a new mission: hunt the Axons. From here, the game gives you the freedom to choose your next major target, and there’s a route considered easier to start with, so if you’re unsure, prioritize the more accessible path before tackling the more challenging one.

If you return to Old Lumière later, there’s a Paint Cage in the Manor’s gardens area, with seals scattered among nearby ruins and a more distant seal on rocks to the south. Opening this cage will give you a weapon for Lune focused on support and healing. Also, on a later visit, it’s worth revisiting the path east of the area’s control flag, descending the rope, defeating the Nevrons in the lower sector, collecting Chroma near a chair, and searching for Expedition 42’s journal near the base of a golden blade further on.

Siren

To face Sirene, start by going to the large yellow island on the west side of the map, the one that stands out for having an arena and theater structure. Land on the last stretch of coast to the west and enter the theater complex. Follow the main corridor to the initial scenes and, when you regain control, interact with the masked figure ahead to use the elevator. As soon as it stops, advance just a little and make a mandatory detour to avoid losing rare material: turn right and enter the tunnel; at the end of the dead end you’ll find a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. Return to the path and continue to the first flag, rest if needed, and continue up the stairs.

You’ll reach an open area with enemies in a dancing pose. In this area, look to the right for Expedition Journal 55, and notice that behind a large torch there’s a hidden Colour of Lumina. Now take another short detour before proceeding: on the opposite side of the journal, enter the large room and look for an ink nail; break it to get another Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. After that, return to the open area and look for a descending rope; it starts a detour with several rewards and is well worth it. Go down, go to the right and get another Resplendent Chroma Catalyst, go back and cross using the grappling hook, continue down and you’ll find a Paint Cage. Look for the targets around it and shoot them all to open it; the reward here is the Pictos Shield Affinity. With the cage open, use the elevator to return to the map’s flow, advance, and this time turn left to find a chromatic boss, the cultist with the high-mounted sword. This enemy builds up in the most annoying way possible; it injures itself to initiate long attack patterns on the group and also builds shields for itself. Therefore, your plan needs to be to break shields quickly and not waste time trying to counter-attack, since it shields itself before attacking, significantly reducing the value of counters. It resists light and is weak to darkness, so prioritize dark damage and equip Maelle with a weapon good at breaking shields and creating a damage window. When the boss starts its attack sequence on the group, treat it as a rhythm reading: it’s a series of quick attacks, with a jump in the middle and more cuts afterward. So, if you’re not yet comfortable parrying in bursts, play it safe with dodging and keep healing up. It also has an attack where it raises its shield and jumps at a single target for massive damage, requiring you to be ready to react without hesitation. Winning will grant you the Sireso weapon for the Verso, and behind the boss is the Pictos Effective Heal, so don’t leave the area without picking it up.

Before returning to the main path, walk in the opposite direction from the boss to find a Colour of Lumina next to a broken column. Then, proceed until you find the Pictos Greater Shell, and nearby look for climbing holds, climb up and enter a small cave to get another Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. While in this area, look for a rope that you can unlock to drop down near the beginning of the theater; it acts as a shortcut and saves time if you need to return to the flag or shopping area. With the detour completed, return to the open area just past the first flag and now continue along the route you haven’t yet taken. You’ll find a balcony with a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst; pick it up, go back, and continue to the next elevator, which this time descends to an underground section. Pass through a Gestral and reach a large statue. Here the path splits, and there’s an important detail: to the left is the “finishing point” of a Pétank. Memorize this spot, because the Pétank itself appears going straight from the statue, and you need to guide the chase to the correct point. This Pétank is more resistant and runs faster than the previous ones, so you need to fight efficiently and not just with brute damage. Since it flees in turns, gaining extra turns counts more than trying to break its break bar, so use well-timed defenses to secure more actions and accelerate its fall. If possible, bring Maelle and Monoco into this fight, as they tend to handle this type of target better. Once you win, don’t stray too far, because attached to the Pétank’s landing point is an ink nail that holds a Colour of Lumina. Break it and retrieve it. Now cross the remaining corridor until you reach a very large hall, and here’s a catch: don’t walk on the upper walkways, go straight down to the lower level to find a new enemy, the Benisseur. Defeat him to obtain the Pictos Powerful on Shell and, next to it, also pick up the Pictos Auto Regen. There’s a carpet or path that takes you back upstairs; use it to return.

Back at the top, take the upward route, defeat the group along the way to strengthen your Colim weapon to level 13, and when this route splits, choose the left side to get a Colour of Lumina at the end. Return to the split and follow the other side to a door; there’s a side path to the left that ends in Chroma and has nothing else of interest besides enemies, so grab the money if you want and go through the door to continue. Further on, you go down stairs and see an abyss; before going to the right, look behind a column for a well-hidden Resplendent Chroma Catalyst, grab it, and continue to another elevator. When it stops, take a detour to the right and find a door to the Manor. Inside, it looks like a regular bathroom, but there’s a secret passage: open the inner door, aim and shoot the mirror next to the sink to reveal an opening, go down and grab a Shape of Health, and the passage itself returns you near the entrance of the Manor, so you won’t get lost.

Returning to the theater, follow the main route and speak to the shadowy man in the top hat for another story moment, then continue and collect a Colour of Lumina next to the bodies on the ground. Next, when you see a hook going through, don’t use it yet, turn right, defeat the enemies and climb onto a ledge to get the Pictos Protecting Death. Go back, use the hook to go through and, going around a column, ignore another hook for a few seconds and pick up another Colour of Lumina hidden there. Now go through the next hook, ignore the arch directly ahead and go around to the left, defeat two Benisseurs and continue to a balcony that holds another Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. From here, go down to the lower part, which is exactly where that arch would take you, and look for a room on the left to face an optional Mime. After winning, proceed until you see a large Nevron and a flag to the left. This flag is your preparation point for a fight that, although avoidable, is well worth doing now because it provides a weapon and softens the blow for the region’s final boss. Climb up to the monster and choose to attack; the boss is Tisseur. He opens by applying a curse to the entire group that cannot be avoided, and this curse kills the character when the timer runs out. Therefore, the fight becomes a controlled race: you need to defeat the boss before the timers expire, or ensure the team is stable enough to survive the cycle and deal with a reapplication if he casts the curse again. He is weak to fire and light and resistant to darkness, so adjust your damage to avoid wasting turns. His attacks vary between a single impact that’s difficult to time perfectly but great to counter if you hit, a sequence with two jumping attacks and a crushing blow at the end, a multi-hit combo mixing punches and jumps, and a direct hit on a target where he “closes” his hands on the character. None of these usually wipe you out in one hit if you’re at the right level, but missing several defenses in a row can really put you in trouble, so the most consistent approach is to dodge the confusing attacks and learn the timing of the single attack well to punish them whenever it appears. Winning rewards you with the Tissenum weapon and the Pictos Anti Charm, as well as materials, which also makes the final stretch of the dungeon more manageable.

Before leaving the Tisseur arena, grab a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst in a corner to the right of one of the hooks and, without going outside yet, return to the entrance of the room and look to the left. There’s a series of ramps and ledges you can climb; follow them to find a Paint Cage and another Resplendent Chroma Catalyst along the way. To open the cage, find and destroy the targets around it and collect the reward, a Revive Tint Shard, which permanently increases your Revive Tint capacity. Go all the way down again, use the hook to cross, and continue forward. You’ll start to see Axon along the way, but there’s still an important boss in the middle. Pass through enemies and reach an open area with ledges leading to some Chroma above. Take it if you want and continue until you find a rope descending to another flag. Prepare yourself and descend to face Glissando. Here, Anti-Charm helps, so if you’re using it as a passive, it’s a good time to equip it on at least one character, or the whole group if you want to play it safe. Glissando is weak to darkness and ice and resistant to light and earth, so prioritize Sciel and Lune for damage, and avoid forcing what yields little. His patterns include a combo of three tail sweeps on the group, two headbutts in sequence, and a summoning of Ballets that perform three jump attacks that are easy to counter with jump counters, so take advantage of this window as a “free turn” whenever it appears. The annoying part is the charm: he tries to charm an ally, and to escape, you need to react after the second pulse of the attack, and when someone is charmed, their tail turns into a kind of rattle with a weak point; shoot it to remove the effect. After he loses half his health, he swallows a group member like a Bourgeon, and the way to recover the ally is to stun the boss, so concentrate damage and break when that happens.

By winning, you earn a cosmetic item linked to the Siren. Before proceeding, to the right of the flag in this area there is an Energy Tint Shard and a rope descending; pick up the shard, then use a grappling hook and follow the path until you find a low passage to crawl through and collect the Pictos Healing Fire. Return via the grappling hook and now bypass the hidden Pétank and the merchant: pick up a Chroma on the left, rotate the camera and look for the holds to climb on a large fallen pillar, cross over it and follow it to a rope that you can unlock to descend to a lower area. Down there is another Pétank; the arrival point is ahead, and this Pétank usually insists on a U-shaped path, so the way to control it is to chase it on the opposite side of the return until it “aligns,” then cut the path and push it back to the correct point. This second Pétank tends to be easier to kill than the first one when the combat begins. Next to the arrival point there’s a merchant, and if you win the duel against him, you’ll unlock a weapon to buy for Maelle, as well as access expensive and powerful Pictos like Double Mark, Energising Attack II, and Greater Powerful, so if you have Chroma saved up, this is a good place to spend it. Return to the flag, go beyond the Glissando area and use the elevator. Upon reaching the new floor, search the left wall to pick up a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst, then look to the opposite side of the elevator and also to the area in front of the next flag, where there are bodies with Expedition Journal 67; grab it before you forget. Use the flag, reorganize the team, and prepare for Axon, Sirene.

In the fight against Sirene, remember that she is affected by ice and darkness, so Lune and Sciel are excellent for applying pressure damage. If you haven’t defeated Tisseur beforehand, the fight becomes more frustrating because the boss gains more shields and more defenses during the turns, so prior preparation really pays off. She opens with two glissando-type attacks, and if you time your defense correctly, you can counter-attack and get off to a good start, but don’t force parry if you’re not yet comfortable with the cadence. You don’t hit the “main body” directly, but rather her avatar on the stage, so don’t be surprised by the framing. One of the most dangerous attacks is seduction on an ally, which functions as a gradient attack, so wait for the screen to fade and respond with a gradient counter at the right time to negate the effect. After many turns, a Ballet attempts to charm someone, and this is usually a good chance for an easy counter if you recognize the timing of the jump. When her health drops to around a quarter, the fight changes phase and the game indicates that the dance has become frantic, at which point she initiates a grand ballet summoning five elemental Ballets that attack in sequence. This part is a test of endurance because it’s a long barrage, so it’s worth prioritizing defense, Shell, healing, and survival setups, and only punishing with damage when you have a clear window. She can still attack with a three-hit combo from her dress targeting three random limbs, so be ready to alternate defense between targets. Near 10 percent health, she begins the final act mixing a new wave of Ballets and glissandos that turn into jump attacks, and if you manage to counter these jumps with the entire group a few times in a row, you shorten the end of the fight drastically; if not, the priority becomes surviving the storm and finishing it off soon after. Winning grants you important rewards such as Energising Turn and Tisseron, and the game takes you to the camp.

In the post-dungeon area, enjoy the interactions; you can spend time with Sciel, Maelle, and Monoco, and Monoco’s event usually unlocks new hairstyles for him and Verso. When Sciel and Maelle reach a high bond level, they gain a new Gradient Attack, so continuing to do bond-building events is worthwhile. Also, be aware that accepting certain invitations from Sciel starts a specific romantic route and locks another alternative route, so choose wisely. Before sleeping, interact with the campfire for an extra scene that unlocks a record, write in Gustave’s journal, and finish the camp by sleeping.

Faces

Before setting foot in Visages, prepare properly, because this island demands more equipment than luck. Ideally, enter with your main weapons upgraded, with at least one damage-focused character using a weapon near the maximum level you can reach at this point, and the rest of the group with well-upgraded weapons so you don’t rely on a single perfect turn. Take the opportunity to increase Lumina Points and review Pictos, because here you’ll alternate a lot between survival and burst damage, and some optional fights can reward you greatly, but also punish any carelessness. When you reach the beginning of the area, follow the straight path and pick up a Colour of Lumina at the end of the trail. Then, enter the ravine to the left and follow the path to the flag, where some cutscenes play out. The boss even “invites” you to go straight to him, but the best decision is to do the opposite and explore everything first, because you’ll leave with new weapons, rare Catalysts, and excellent Pictos.

Right near the flag in this initial square, there’s a merchant. If you want, you can buy the Pictos Healing Share right there, and you can also challenge the merchant to unlock a specific Sciel weapon for purchase. It’s worth checking your Chroma and deciding if it’s worthwhile now or if it’s better to make a note to come back later. With that in mind, use the square’s flag as a reference point and start on the left path, which leads to the first valley.

In Joy Vale, the environment changes abruptly, and everything turns green, as if it were a cheerful parody of the world. Proceed to the large smiling mask, because it will swallow the group and spit you out in another part of the valley; this is part of the journey. Keep going, defeat the two enemies that appear, and continue to the flag. In the flag area, there are enemies “dancing” in the open space; eliminate them so they don’t hinder exploration, then go back a few steps and climb the ramp to the right of the flag. You’ll see an item that catches your eye, but as you approach, you’re ambushed by a new and terrifying enemy, the Contortionist. He has a lot of health, hits hard, and his most important weak point is the eye on his torso, so the most efficient way to fight him is to aim and shoot at that eye until you lock his body, creating a safe window to deal heavy damage. By winning, you receive the Contortionist weapon and also unlock skill learning for Monoco. Near a spear stuck in the ground, pick up a Healing Tint Shard to increase your healing limit. Next, go back down and walk towards the central pillar of the valley. To the left, look for Chroma near a tree, then climb a short step where there are two enemies; next to them you’ll find Expedition Journal 69. To the right of the journal there’s a Mime leaning against a corner, so if you’re doing 100 percent, take it on now. After finishing this part, return to the central pillar and cross the other path in Joy Vale. When you reach a wide area, turn right, defeat the enemies and pick up a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst hidden in a corner. Then, climb the ramp on the opposite side of the item, defeat the enemy at the top and collect the Pictos Confident Fighter near a tree and a Nevron corpse. Now, go down again and examine the left wall of this large area, because there’s a side path that seems innocent, but when you reach it you’ll be attacked and, at the end of the event, you’ll get the Confused weapon for the Verse. With all these items collected, return to the giant mask in the valley and answer its question by choosing Joy to start an optional boss fight.

The optional boss in Joy Vale is the Jovial Moissonneuse, and he comes accompanied by two allies. The big difference between him and the regular version is that, at the end of each turn, the mask associated with him heals a large amount of the boss’s health, so the fight tends to get “stretched out” if you don’t eliminate the support heroes and maintain pressure. Aside from that, the attack pattern is very similar to the normal Moissonneuse, so if you’ve defeated a chromatic version before, this one tends to be much more controllable. Winning earns you a Chapelim and you are automatically returned to the central square of Visages.

Back at the plaza, follow the path alongside the Joy Vale route to enter Sadness Vale. Once the scenery turns blue, approach the mask to be transported, just like before. Proceed, defeat the first enemy in your path, and reach the flag. An important warning about this valley is that some enemies carry an effect that can exhaust the group when they die, so don’t be surprised if, after a victory, you notice your team is more “locked” in resource generation; this is part of the Sadness Vale experience and forces you to play more carefully.

Starting from the flag, go to the right, defeat the enemies, and climb up the ledges to get Chroma. Then go back down and return to the center to defeat another enemy that usually stays on the main route. Now go around the left side of the large pillar or arch in the valley and look for a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst hidden above the tombstones. Next, follow the path on the left side of this arch; you will see a stone protrusion with Chroma behind it, and just ahead is one of the most dangerous fights in this region, the Chromatic Ramasseur.

This chromatic Ramasseur is one of those bosses that only respects execution. He resists darkness and is battered by light, so adjust your damage to avoid wasting turns, and if possible, equip First Strike on someone to act before him, because this fight doesn’t give you a break. Understanding how the fight works is crucial: he enters an endless sequence of attacks and practically doesn’t “give away” turns, and the only way to gain a real window of opportunity is to fill his break bar with counters until it’s full and the boss himself automatically breaks at the start of his turn. In other words, you win not by hitting harder, but by defending perfectly enough to break his rhythm. The two main patterns are a combo with a Nevron arm, which can vary from 4 to 8 hits, and a single-hit deadly strike that instantly kills whoever is hit. This deadly strike, being a single hit, becomes your best friend if you learn the timing, because it yields consistent counters and efficiently pushes the break bar. To maximize your chances, ideally equip Pictos that increase break damage on counters, such as those focused on breaking counters and any breaker-type effect, and equip this to the entire party if possible, because every break point makes a difference here. When you finally manage to break the boss, you gain two turns of punishment, and that’s when you should go all out, use your best abilities, and remove as much life as possible. Winning will grant you the Augmented Counter II and a Pictos Glass Canon near the combat area, so collect it before returning.

Return to the main arch of the valley and now follow the path to the right. You will find another enormous mask. Don’t start the interaction yet. First, go to the far right of the valley, where there are two paths, one going uphill and the other going straight along the side. Take the route that allows you to turn right and then right again to reach enemies near an item, an Energy Tint Shard. Then, go back and climb the main slope, defeat the group of enemies that appear “lamenting,” and continue forward; on a left turn, go around the cliff to pick up another Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. Further up you will reach a camp with Expedition Journal 39. With this in hand, go down to the giant mask and answer Sadness to start the optional boss fight in the valley.

The Sorrowful Chapelier also comes with two allies and follows the pattern of the common Chapelier, with the difference that the mask can randomly exhaust a party member, messing up the rhythm. The fight tends to be long, so play consistently, eliminate allies to reduce pressure, and keep your healing windows organized. Winning grants you Boucharo and returns you to the central plaza.

Now, in the plaza, take the path to the right of the flag to enter the last valley, Anger Vale. Proceed, defeating two enemies along the trail and reach the flag. From there, climb the slope to the right to pick up a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. Go back and defeat the group of enemies in the center, then examine the route to the left of the large pillar. On this route, you’ll find a Chroma in a corner on a slope, and going up the other side, there are three enemies fighting; among the nearby bodies is a Revive Tint Shard, which is one of the best permanent security upgrades. Continue along this trail, following the cliff face until you find a rope descending. Go down, eliminate the enemy, and pick up the Pictos Powered Attack. Continue through the ravine until you come out facing the giant mask of Anger Vale, but again, don’t initiate the interaction yet. Instead, go to the far right of the valley and look for a cave in the wall.

Inside the cave there is a fork in the path. Go left first to face enemies around the Pictos Double Burn. Return to the fork and follow the right path to find another door to the Manor. Inside you fall into a children’s room with a piano; pick up the Verso record next to the instrument, then leave this room and enter the next room to find a hidden diary near a bed with an Esquie doll. This diary appears as unknown, so just collect it and move on, as it will be added to your collection of special records. Leave the Manor and go back outside the cave. Upon exiting, climb the slope to the right, eliminate the enemies, and pick up another Resplendent Chroma Catalyst near some crates. Now, return to the giant mask and answer Anger to start the optional boss fight.

Seething Boucheclier doesn’t have any fancy mechanics; it just hits harder, uses fire damage, and spreads burn more frequently. Treat it like a fight of attrition: keep healing up, don’t let Burn accumulate unanswered, and finish consistently. Winning earns you Clierum and returns you to the central plaza once more.

With the three valleys completed and the optional bosses dealt with, make your final preparations in the plaza, gather resources, and adjust Pictos, because now it’s time for the main path. Follow the remaining route and, as you advance, you’ll encounter another shadowy man; talk to him until he falls silent and continue. From here, the ascent is made up of a series of grappling hooks, so use grappling until you reach a flag and then use another grappling hook to reach Axon’s arena.

The fight against Visages functions similarly to the previous Axon fight in terms of structure. You don’t attack the main body, but rather the mirror below, so focus your damage where the game allows. As the turns progress, different masks appear in the mirror, and some have their own weak points; whenever a mask with a weak point appears, it’s worth focusing on it for a moment, because destroying that mask prevents the boss from reusing that set of attacks, forcing a switch to another style. Initially, the common pattern comes from a mask of determination, with a crush, a jump attack, and another crush, so be prepared to alternate ground defense with aerial counters in timing. If you block that mask early, the boss tends to resort to a mask of peace that repeatedly hits the group and also raises two shields, so have ways to remove shields quickly to avoid wasting turns. Other masks enter the rotation, such as one that fires three explosions at the group and inflicts Exhaust, and another that performs several sweeps in sequence, which can reach four hits. The upside is that this fight is usually shorter than it seems, because Axon’s HP isn’t very high here, so going in aggressively from the start pays off a lot. If you’re using Burn strategies with Maelle and have First Strike to open strong, and combine that with Verso using an electric combo weapon, the HP drops quickly and you reach the transition without suffering as much as with Siren.

When the Visages’ life is almost depleted, a cutscene begins and the game throws you into an extra boss fight, the Mask Keeper. The explanation for the previous fight seeming simpler is exactly that. Even so, the Mask Keeper isn’t usually an absurdly difficult jump if your party is around level 50 and has upgraded equipment. He tries to summon the emotion masks, but if you’ve already defeated the optional valley bosses, this attempt doesn’t yield anything relevant. The real danger lies in the multi-hit patterns: he has a single-target attack with about three cuts that can knock someone out if you’re unprepared, and he has area attacks with multiple hits where the timing is more treacherous than the animation suggests. One of the most annoying patterns is a long six-hit strike, difficult to parry and dodge without practice. After losing half his life, he activates an effect that creates shields for himself based on the hits he manages to land on your party, and then the multi-hit sequences become a double problem, because in addition to hurting, they stack defense on him. To get around this, piercing shots and free aiming help to quickly consume shields, and any tool that bypasses part of the defense is worth its weight in gold. Overall, it’s a fight of consistency: survive the bursts, remove shields when necessary, and keep pressing until you take them down. Winning grants you Immaculate and ends the Axon.

After the dungeon, the camp enters a routine mode, but with important rewards. You receive Barrier Breaker and can now evolve it like any other weapon, and you can spend time with Sciel, Lune, Maelle, and Monoco to build bonds. If you don’t want to commit to a specific romantic route, be careful which invitations you accept in events, because certain choices lock alternatives. The Monoco event involves fighting him and is a very difficult duel even at high levels, but losing doesn’t bring punishment, so you can try until you learn the rhythm. If you want to make this duel easier, setting up the Verso with a strong electric weapon and solo-style passives, marking effects, and early combat improvements usually speeds things up considerably. Before sleeping, write in Gustave’s journal, because this unlocks a new ability for Maelle, and then sleep to close the scenes and move on.

The Monolith

Before heading straight for the Monolith, there’s an optional detour that can be very worthwhile if you’re around level 50 and already have a solid set of Picts and upgraded weapons. The idea is to revisit The Crows area, which is still classified as dangerous, but is now much more manageable than when you first went there. If you decide to try it, go in thinking about a fight that punishes any carelessness: bring a trio that can deal reliable damage without relying on common attacks, because the boss behaves in a very specific way. A formation that usually works well is Verso, Maelle, and Lune, with Maelle using a strong weapon and, if you already have one, an option that deals Void damage, in addition to Picts that favor gaining an advantage in the first turn and keeping the offensive cycle going. It also helps a lot to have Mark effects and shots that apply Burn, because a good portion of the damage will come precisely from that.

The optional boss in this round is the Chromatic Chapelier, and he’s extremely restrictive: he completely ignores darkness and light, dodges almost anything that isn’t a free-aiming shot, and even then, sometimes you feel like the game doesn’t want the hit to “stick.” So accept from the start that your real damage will come from three sources: well-timed free-aiming, well-placed counters, and burn. Go in with all options that apply Burn per shot and, if possible, something that doubles the burn effect, because that accelerates the drop in health too much. The Chapelier can still be broken, but it’s annoying to finish the break on him, so focus more on consistency than betting everything on the break bar. He alternates between three main patterns: the first is summoning masks spinning around him, and these masks can be knocked down with shots; if you leave one alive until the end of your turn, it falls and hits someone, so the safest way is to shoot them whenever they appear, because in addition to avoiding damage, you force the boss to spend time bringing the masks back instead of hitting you. The second pattern is a single-target attack with the axe descending three times, each strike with a long preparation; the trick here is to watch the moment he starts to lower the axe and parry at that instant, because the wind-up is long but the impact is sharp. The third pattern is the most dangerous, an attack on the entire group with four cuts before a jumping strike, and this sequence can wipe out even a well-equipped team if you get the timing wrong; here you need to defend against all four cuts, either with a parry or dodge, and counter the jumping strike with a jump counter to turn the tide. If you win, the reward is excellent, including a high-level weapon, a survival Pictos, and rare materials, so it’s worth trying a few times, but if it’s frustrating, leave it for later, because the Monolith doesn’t depend on that.

When you decide to follow the main path, approach the Monolith to watch the cutscenes and reach the spot where you stand at the Paintress’s feet. Use the starting flag and proceed. This outer section is practically a straight walk, with no items, no enemies, and no secrets, so just follow it until the scripted fight. The battle against the Paintress in this first approach isn’t meant to be won; you won’t be able to inflict real damage, so don’t waste resources trying to force something impossible. What you need to do is simply continue playing your turns, using normal actions, until the game triggers the cutscene that pushes the story forward.

After that, you actually enter the Monolith. Follow the path to the first flag and advance, using grappling hooks and traversals as they appear. At one point you’ll reach a waterfall and encounter Nevrons; defeat them and take the opportunity to pick up a Colour of Lumina near the water. Continue along the opposite route from the water, and you’ll notice the environment turning black and white, with the appearance of a figure in flames. Pass by it on the right side and continue until the color returns, and when that happens you’ll be at a fork in the path. Turn left, descend a rope, defeat the enemy on the lower level, and continue down another rope to face another group. In this lower area, there’s a Paint Cage; look for the targets around it and destroy them all with shots to open the cage and pick up a Revive Tint Shard, which permanently increases your revive item capacity. Then, climb all the way back up to the fork and continue forward to reach another flag.

Near this flag, a new division appears. Instead of crossing the bridge immediately, go to the right of the flag to find a Clair-type enemy. Defeat it to unlock Monoco’s skill learning. From there, there’s a path that descends to continue the story, but hold off on advancing for a few minutes because there’s still important loot in the upper part. Go back and continue until you find a large Evesque-type enemy, similar to the one you faced before, but now it’s much simpler. The fight maintains the shield and telegraphic pattern quirks, so there’s no secret, just repeat the discipline: remove shields with cheap actions and use strong damage at the right window. Upon winning, you improve an important Tint and again unlock learning for Monoco. Still in this sector, look for a Colour of Lumina in a corner and then continue a little further and turn right onto a cliff. Jump down to get another Colour of Lumina and then climb back up to return to the bridge that leads back to the flag.

Now, return to Clair’s point and take the path that descends to the right when your back is to the flag. The scenery returns to black and white, and an image of a woman teaching children to paint appears. Here’s an easy detail to miss: look for a tunnel in the left wall, still in this desaturated area. It blends into the scenery, so stay close to the wall and look for the opening. Following it, the color returns, and you’ll soon find an enemy. Defeat it, and you’ll upgrade some weapons and also boost your overall progress. Then, the path forks again. Take the left side first to find a hidden merchant. He sells specific equipment, and if you challenge and defeat him, he’ll release a very useful energy cleansing Pictos, so it’s worth considering the duel if you have a good build. Return to the fork and follow the other side. When you see two large pillars, go around the left pillar to find a hidden Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. Continue, and you’ll reach a wide area with another flag.

From this flag, scan the area before moving forward. Go all the way to the right, up the slope, past an enemy, and look for a low structure you can crawl under. Behind some crates and barrels is a Colour of Lumina. Then return to the flag and go left until you find a hidden path in the vegetation, like a corridor through plants. It leads to a cliff with a grappling hook; cross it and you’ll reach an optional boss, the Chromatic Bourgeon. He resists ice and is weak to electricity, and the fight works like any Bourgeon: he swallows allies and only spits them out when you break him, but he tries to repeat the cycle immediately afterward, so focus on filling your break bar and punishing through windows, using electricity to speed things up. At level 50 or above, with Verso using an electric weapon and Lune with a good magic support weapon, this fight usually comes down quickly. Upon winning, pick up the weapon and quest items he drops, collect the Colours of Lumina, and don’t forget to pick up the Pictos Stay Marked behind the arena.

Return to the flag and follow the main route, going around the structure ahead. You’ll encounter a group with a new Obscur-type enemy; defeat it to unlock more Monoco learning. Before continuing, turn the camera to the central structure of the area and look for an item at its base—it’s an easy-to-miss Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. Continue to the next flag and, to its right, near some crates, pick up another Colour of Lumina. Further on, in an open area with two enemies, defeat them to upgrade an important weapon. Climb the slope and, to the left, pick up another Colour of Lumina. Continuing on, you’ll reach a darkened version of the Ancient Sanctuary’s large totem, patrolled by an Ultimate Sakapatate. The fight is a repeat of the original boss, but now you have many more tools, and it’s worth fighting, especially for Monoco to learn more. After the fight, search the right side of the area, going around a rock formation to find a hidden Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. Also grab the Chroma key behind the totem.

Still in this totem region, advance and, when you see enemies ahead, ignore them for a moment and go through an opening on the left side that leads to a secret area. Inside, there is an enemy, an ink nail, and a Paint Cage. Defeat the enemy to upgrade Lune’s weapon if it isn’t already at that level, break the ink nail to reveal a target for opening the cage, and then find the other targets to open the Paint Cage, which gives a random defense Pictos. Return to the main path, defeat the enemies blocking the passage, and proceed to another flag. Climb the stairs and pick up a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst at the top, use the grappling hook to collect Chroma along the way. Soon after, another black and white transition occurs, and as you advance past a shrine, you’ll encounter Reaper-type cultists and also greatsword cultists. Defeat the group, as this improves weapons and Pictos in your set, and nearby there is a Chroma point along with a Pétank landing spot. Go to a windmill and you’ll see the Pétank. Guide it along the right side of the windmill, using the cliff as a guide to the landing point, and then initiate combat. This Pétank has very high defense against damage from abilities and regular physical attacks, so the most efficient approach is to use free aim and shots to gradually wear down its life. Verso works very well if you have an electric weapon and energy passives. Behind the windmill, pick up a Colour of Lumina.

Continuing on, you reach an altar where the path splits, with Chroma right in front. Descend the left rope to fall deep and face a group of enemies including a Mime along with Clair and Obscur variants. The fight can be confusing because the two supports add shields and buffs, so eliminate the supports first and then focus on the Mime. Climb back up and take the other path, defeat the sector group, and on the cliffs to the left, pick up a Chroma. Behind a rock formation is the Pictos Weakness Gain, so don’t miss it. Follow the tunnel and use the grappling hooks until you reach a flag. To the right of the flag, near a body, is a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. Cross the bridge and face the enemy just ahead, as this improves weapons and Pictos in the group. Before proceeding, backtrack a few steps and jump to the right just past the bridge to pick up a Colour of Lumina on a lower level, then climb back up and continue along the path. Go down the main path, defeat the enemy to upgrade another weapon, and when you see rubble ahead, turn right and follow a trail that passes two enemies until it ends in a dead end with another Colour of Lumina. Return to the rubble and go left to find a rope, climb up to get Chroma, and then go back down. Proceed and, after defeating the sector’s regular guards, turn left to collect another Colour of Lumina.

Further on, you’ll reach a distorted tomb reminiscent of Gustave’s, and there’s a fork in the path. Go left to find a door to the Manor. Inside, pick up a record called L’amour d’une Mère and also collect a hidden diary associated with Aline. Go down the stairs, open the inner door, and exit the same way you came in to return to the Monolith route. Return to the tomb, follow it to a cliff, and use grappling hooks to climb up to an area that mimics the Monoco station. Use the flag and cross the “station” to the other side, watching another black and white scene. On the left, you’ll see a huge enemy, a more accessible version of a boss connected to Frozen Hearts. Here, it can freeze allies at the end of their turn and alternates punch combos, but at this point, it’s much easier than the real version, so defeat it without fear. When the path forks, go to the cliff on the left first and use the grappling hook to cross to a Paint Cage. Find and destroy the targets to unlock and obtain the Pictos Empowering Parry.

Return to where you fought the giant and follow the other route, climbing until you find a merchant in a snowy area. He sells healing shards, materials, and, if you challenge him, he’ll drop a weapon and a Pictos with a heavier debuff. Next to him, in the snow near a body, pick up the Pictos Enfeebling Attack. Return to the main path and look for an item at the end of a hanging train car; it’s a Colour of Lumina. Climb a slope, defeat enemies, and collect Chroma at the end of the section. Then go back and continue climbing until you reach a large door with guards. Defeat the group, as they drop Braselim. After going through the door, look behind the left pillar and pick up a hidden Colour of Lumina. Continue through the ice cave and use grappling hooks until you reach a train platform. Go straight ahead until you find the third pillar closest to the end of the alignment and pick up a hidden Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. Talk to the faded boy in front of the train and ask to go to Lumière.

Use the flag and head to the city. Once inside, eliminate the Chevalier group on the left to upgrade an advanced defense Pictos. Go through the square with the fountain and look for a Recoat hidden in a corner on the left. Continue to a grappling hook, cross it, then turn right to use another grappling hook. Continue through more grappling hooks until you reach another black and white scene and continue. You’ll reach a rock formation that creates another fork in the path. The right path yields Chroma and an enemy; the left path leads to a Colour of Lumina near a harp. Pick up both and return to follow the remaining route, which leads to the prologue tree. Before proceeding, go to the right of the tree and pick up a Colour of Lumina in an alley. Then, use grappling hooks to cross and, after facing enemies, pick up Expedition Journal 70 and another Colour of Lumina behind them. Return to the tree and go through a tunnel. Upon exiting the tunnel, ignore two enemies ahead for a few seconds, turn right and climb the stairs to retrieve another Colour of Lumina high up, then return and continue past the statue to the next hook. Climb the stairs in this area to face a mini-boss called Clair Obscur, who is accompanied by another Clair and an Obscur. Eliminate the two supports first, as the Clair can generate shields and the Obscur can cast Enrage, making the main boss much more dangerous. The boss hits much harder than the regular versions, and a few hits can eliminate an ally, so prioritize consistency, use Verso with an electric weapon, and keep your healing organized. Winning will reward you with Dreameso and the Pictos Breaking Attack, and behind the arena, on a table, pick up Lithelim, a Void element weapon for Lune.

Now go back and finally defeat the two guards you ignored earlier. Next, turn right to face more enemies and pick up a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst near a cliff behind the group. Then, advance through a cave and you’ll see a flag outside. Stop here and prepare the team for a tough fight, because Renoir is coming. At first he opens with a jump attack, but the combat really changes when you take about half of his life, as a cutscene summons a large black lion, he fully heals and enters Enrage, acting twice. From then on, the attacks become more aggressive, including sequences where the lion hits the same target multiple times, long melee combos with tough timing, and area attacks that require gradient counters. Pay special attention to the attack that makes an ally disappear, because if it completes, you lose that character for the rest of the fight. So when you notice the beginning of the pattern, prioritize surviving intentionally, even accepting that an ally falls to be resurrected later if that’s better than being removed from combat. He also still uses an attack where he gathers a large volume of Chroma to hit the group, and if you don’t defend well, this can turn into a wipe. So use shields and defensive resources to get through these sequences, and in the moments when you manage to defend with gradient, take advantage to return heavy damage. By winning, you receive the Pictos Second Chance and the Renoir outfit. After the cutscenes, exit through the gate, use the flag at the top, and climb up to face the real Paintress.

The fight against the true Paintress reuses Renoir’s discipline: lots of defense, lots of reading, and punishment in short windows. She summons stars that fire at random targets, and even if you can’t parry them all, try to at least defend the last one to counter. She also has single-target gradient attacks that eliminate on hit, so when you recognize the animation, treat it as an absolute defense priority. At times she gathers Chroma to hit the group in sequences of three impacts, and the timing is usually unforgiving on the first attempt, so the goal is to survive, learn the rhythm, and not waste revives too early. She also throws rocks from the Monolith, and a consistent way to orient yourself is to observe that the rock furthest to the right is usually thrown first, so use that to line up parries or dodges. When her health is almost at zero, a cutscene plays and the fight advances to phase 2.

In phase 2, you face the avatar and the real form simultaneously. In the first turn, she creates a huge paintbrush, and from then on, the attacks alternate between blows from the giant arm and movements of the paintbrush. You must read the paintbrush as the main reference point because if it hits you, she uses it to heal herself. There’s an attack where she flies and descends to strike a single target, and another where she tears reality and makes fireballs fall one at a time on the group, potentially causing Burn and almost killing you if you take several hits; in this case, the best tip is to observe the final curve of the projectile before impact to hit your defense. She also has long single-target combos. When her health drops to about half, she covers the field with black ink, weakens the group, applies a curse, and gains a large number of shields. At this point, look for two weak points above her and destroy them, because this “buys time” against the curse for whoever shoots, and you need this breathing room to stabilize. After that, she tends to reapply curses and repeat the cycle, so the fight becomes a management exercise: breaking shields quickly, eliminating weak points, and punishing safely. By reducing her health again to its limit, another cutscene occurs, and the final phase is practically a finishing move; she stops attacking aggressively, and you just need to finish the job. Winning this long sequence grants you Painted Power, the Pictos that finally allows you to surpass the standard damage ceiling.

In the epilogue, after the cutscenes, you take control of Alicia inside the Manor. Walk through the corridors to reach the large central hall, speak with Clea, and explore the questions to unlock important story information. When you’re ready to continue, approach the screen and choose to enter it. After the sequence, Act 3 begins.

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